MLB Player News

Davis is absent from the lineup for Monday's contest against the Cubs.

Davis will yield to Joey Bart at catcher for the second day in a row. The two have split playing time behind the dish the month, with Davis receiving seven starts to Bart's six.

Cruz is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.

The Cubs are sending right-hander Jameson Taillon to the bump, but the left-handed-hitting Cruz will nonetheless retreat to the bench in the series opener. It's the third time over the last five contests that he's been absent from the lineup, but the first two times he sat out came against lefties. Cruz is slashing just .186/.276/.314 across 74 games since the beginning of June. Jack Suwinski will handle center field for the Pirates on Monday.

The Diamondbacks recalled Morillo from Triple-A Reno on Monday.

Morillo has offered a mixed bag during his several stints in the majors, posting a 4.55 ERA and 32:20 K:BB over 31.2 innings. Even with his control and command issues, the hard-throwing Morillo has sometimes found himself in high-leverage situations as part of an unsettled Arizona bullpen.

The Diamondbacks designated DeSclafani for assignment Monday.

DeSclafani made two appearances after returning from a thumb injury, giving up five home runs and six runs in total over 5.2 innings. His spot on the active roster and in the bullpen is being absorbed by Juan Morillo.

Alexander (elbow) is starting at third base and batting fifth against the Giants on Monday, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.

Alexander was struck on his left elbow by a pitch during the Diamondbacks' 6-4 win over the Rangers on Sunday. He was diagnosed with an elbow contusion, and the injury isn't severe enough to be held out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener. Alexander has gone 7-for-27 (.259) with four RBI over his last seven games.

Ballesteros will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter and cleanup batter in Monday's game against the Pirates.

Ballesteros will be awarded his fourth straight start after he went 5-for-10 with one home run, one triple, two walks, two RBI and three runs during the Cubs' series versus the Rays over the weekend. Though he's made the most of his opportunities since being called up from Triple-A Iowa last Tuesday, Ballesteros' playing time could be squeezed once Seiya Suzuki (illness) makes his return to the lineup.

Suzuki (illness) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates.

Out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive game, Suzuki is apparently dealing with something more than a mild illness, but the Cubs haven't shed light on the nature of his ailment. Manager Craig Counsell revealed Sunday that Suzuki traveled with the team to Pittsburgh, so the expectation remains that the 31-year-old will avoid a stint on the injured list and return to the lineup at some point later in the series. Moises Ballesteros will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter once again Monday while Suzuki sits.

The Cubs optioned Brown to Triple-A Iowa on Monday.

He's being sent down to make room on the active roster for the return of Michael Soroka (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list. Brown has made 15 starts and 10 relief appearances for the Cubs this season, posting a 5.92 ERA and 121:32 K:BB over 106.1 frames.

The Nationals announced Monday that Ruiz (concussion) will continue to participate in baseball activities this week, though it's unclear if he'll return from the 7-day injured list before the end of the season, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

The organization will likely wait and see how Ruiz fares in his workouts over the next few days before deciding on his next steps. Ruiz is the midst of his second stint on the injured list due to concussions and was pulled off a rehab assignment earlier this month after experiencing renewed symptoms.

The Cubs activated Soroka (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Soroka has been sidelined since early August with a right shoulder strain but has been cleared to return after making one 2.1-inning rehab appearance with Triple-A Iowa this past Thursday. All 17 of Soroka's appearances this season have come as a starter, but he appears slated for a relief role with the Cubs in the final two weeks of the campaign. Soroka excelled in a bullpen role last season with the White Sox, posting a 2.75 ERA with 60 strikeouts over 36 frames.